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80% of N. Korean defectors are female in 2015, overall numbers down

July 6, 2015
A sign points to the entrance of Daeseong-dong, the only civilian residential area within the southern part of the Demilitarized Zone. (Yonhap)

A sign points to the entrance of Daeseong-dong, the only civilian residential area within the southern part of the Demilitarized Zone. (Yonhap)

The South Korean government released a report on Sunday revealing that 80 percent of North Korean defectors are female.

The figures only reflect those who fled south of the border rather than to China or Russia.

The most popular explanation for the phenomenon is that women are monitored less heavily than men making it easier for the former to find opportunities to escape according to South Korea’s Ministry of Unification.

Even with the shifting proportions between males and females, the overall number of defectors has been declining since 2011 when Kim Jong-un came into power.

“Regardless of sex, the number of North Korean defectors has been falling,” the report said. “The trend is likely to continue this year as well.”

Under Kim Jong-un’s rule, there have been drastic efforts to stop those who are trying to leave the country including demolishing approximately 10,000 houses along a popular escape route and building a highway in its place.